Linking web sessions with telephone calls

Abstract

A web application assigns a number that resembles a conventional telephone number and that uniquely identifies the current Web session, and injects this number into a signalling message or signalling messages that flow towards a WebRTC gateway. The WebRTC gateway inserts this number into the signalling information element that conveys Caller ID in the signalling message that it sends into the telephone network. This allows the recipient of a WebRTC call to identify the web session from which the WebRTC call originates.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of passing web session information from a web browser to a telephony recipient comprising the steps of:—
 setting up a call between the web browser and the telephony recipient using Web Real-time Communications (WebRTC); 
 generating a web session ID that resembles a conventional telephone number and that uniquely identifies a user web session of said web browser; 
 and encapsulating the web session identity (ID) in at least one call setup message for the WebRTC connection, for transmission to the telephony recipient, 
 whereby the recipient of the call is able to extract the web session ID to identify the user web session from which the WebRTC call originates. 
 
     
     
       2. A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising communicating with a web server which hosts the user web session in order to derive further information about the web session which is referenced by the web session ID. 
     
     
       3. A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further including encapsulating the web session ID in a caller party identifier or caller ID field of the said WebRTC setup message. 
     
     
       4. A method as claimed in  claim 2 , further including encapsulating the web session ID in a caller party identifier or caller ID field of the said WebRTC setup message. 
     
     
       5. A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the web session ID is created by the web browser. 
     
     
       6. A method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the web session ID is created by the web browser. 
     
     
       7. A method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the web session ID is created by the web browser. 
     
     
       8. A method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the web session ID is created by the web browser. 
     
     
       9. A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the web session ID is created by the web server. 
     
     
       10. A method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the web session ID is created by the web server. 
     
     
       11. A method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the web session ID is created by the web server. 
     
     
       12. A method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the web session ID is created by the web server. 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer medium carrying computer code executable in a web browser and which when executed, causes the web browser; to establish a call to a telephony recipient using Web Real-time Communications (WebRTC), to generate a session number that resembles a conventional telephone number and that uniquely identifies a web session from which the call originates in use, and to, encapsulate the session number in a caller identity (ID) field during the call setup, for onward transmission to the telephony recipient. 
     
     
       14. A telephony recipient system, comprising: a telecommunications device arranged to receive a call established using Web Real-time Communications (WebRTC) from a computer running a web browser to display a web session hosted on a web server; an identity (ID) extractor arranged to extract caller ID data from the call, to derive a web session ID from the caller ID data; and a session state information retriever arranged to retrieve web session state information from the web server and/or web browser dependent on the web session ID. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer code executable on a telephony recipient system, and which when executed on the telephony recipient system, causes the telephony recipient system; to receive a call established using Web Real-time Communications (WebRTC) from a web browser in a web session hosted on a web server, to extract caller ID data from the call, to derive a web session ID from the caller ID data and to retrieve web session state information from the web server and/or web browser dependent on the web session ID.